Clarence b



C. B. HARLOW.

CIRCUIT CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.3.19115.

1',308,'7 1 1 Patented July 1, 1919.

, lilllllll i; M d /mml'1 w x fw-373354 rUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

v I CLARENCE B. HARLOW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNCR T0 BENJAMIN ELECTRIC I MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OIE" ILLI- NOIS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE B. HARLow,

'a citizen of the United States, residing Aat Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful .Improvements in Circuit-Closers,` of which ladaptednior closing the circuit of an electric horn or signal device. The circuit closing device is intended primarily for use on automobiles' and like vehicles, and one of thef objects of my invention is to provide a neat,

compact switch `which may be operated by pressure from almost any direction, and which is rigidly and economically constructed.v A Y For the purpose of disclosing my invention I .have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation cfacircuitvv closer showing the rmanner in which it is secured'to a support;

Fig.- 2 is a vertical axial section of the circuit closer showing the manner in which y the contacts are secured to the'insulating base,`and showing the relation vithefinovable contact to the operating device`` Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on 1the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing a plan view of the movable cnn/tact;- y

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4oFig.-2;and v Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the circuit closer showing the manner in which the binding plates are seated in the recesses in the lower part of the insulating base.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the circuit closerl comprises an insulating base 10 for supporting the contacts and the 'binding posts, a casing or-housing 11 for the insulating base and contacts, and an operating member 12 for engagement with the hand of the operator which is so constructed that pressure on it in almost any direction will cause the circuit to be closed. The base 10 ha`sin its lower-face a air of recesses 13 in which are located the inding plates 56 14 to which the binding screws 15 are se- Specification of Letters Patent.

CIBCUIT-CLOSER.

I Patented July 1, 1919.

Application' led March 3, 1915. Serial N o. 11,756.l

cured. The binding plates are held in place in the recesses by means of rivets 16 extending through openings 17 in the base 10. One of these rivets 16 also extends through an opening 18 in the movable Contact 19 to secure the latter to the base 10. The inov.

ablecontact 19 comprises a U-shaped por-` tion 20, an upwardly inclined portion 21, a horizontal portion 22 for engagement with the operatinglmeinber, and a downwardly inclined portion 23 which is so constructed that when the portion' 22 is depressed the comprises also a cylindrical portion 28 into which the case 10 is inserted, the casing above the cylindrical portion 28 being reduced as shown at 29 to limit the distance to which the base 10 may be inserted within the casing, and comprises also an inwardly extending annular flange 30 which forms a fulcrum member for the operating member 12. The operating member 12 comprises a mushroom-shaped cap or button 31, a Harige member 32 for engaging the fulcrum fiange 30, a hollow rivet member 33 having a flange 34 embedded in the bottom 31., and an insulating washer 35 which is seated within a cupportion 36 of the flange member 32, and through which the hollow rivet 33 extends to hold the washer 35 and Bange member 32 onto the bottom 31. The conductors 37 may lead 'through an opening 38 in the support 27, to a position in which they may be engaged by the binding screws 15. The movable contact'19 has an opening 39 therein. directly above the rivet 16, this opening being provided to enable the upper end of the 20 is such as to normally hold the operating member 12 in its raised Fig. 2.

By the arrangement above described the ca orbutton 31 is maintained in what might be termed a Heating position while being at the same time connected to the casing, so that whenever pressure is applied to the topof the button the contact 23 will be position shown in moved into engagement with the hollow rivet 16 and the circuit thereby closed. Also if pressure is applied at any point along the side or at any point on the periphery of the cap 31 it will be tilted, the ,flange 30 forming a fulcrum to prevent the side opposite from that to which the pressure is applied from rising so that the cap Will be tilted on Y the side on which the pressure is applied to move the movable contact into engagement,

with the stationary contact.

The cap- 31 may be provided with a downwardly extending flange or skirt 40 which Will help to make the circuit vcloser water proof. .The base 10 may be provided with vlaterally extending channels 41 (Fig. 5)

leading from the recess 13 to the side of the base, and the casing may be provided with an opening 42 in its side, the purpose of the channels" 41 and opening 42 being to enable the circuit closer to be wired from the side by leading the conductors in through the opening 42 and channels 41 in case it is inconvenient or not desirable to lead the conductors'ink through the bottom of the casing.

Having thus ,described my invention what.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l .1. A circuit controller comprising a contact, a movable contact coaeting therewith,

a metallic housing therefor having an annuf lar fiange forming afulcrum, an insulatingl hand-'engaging member, a metallic fulerumengaging member having a flange engaging said first flange, means for securing said fulcrum engaging member to said hand-engaging member comprising an insulating washer, and a rivet extending through said Washer to hold the washer on the hand-en# gaging member and to engage the movable contact.

2.y A circuit controller comprising an insulating base, a stationary and a movable contact carried by said base, a housing for said contacts having a flange forming an annular fulcrum, a tiltable cover overhanging said housing, a ring having a portionthereof engaging beneath said flange to lock the housing and cover together, a' washer secured to the under side of said cover and clamping said ring to the cover, and a rivet having one end embedded in said cover and upper end forming an annular fulerum, a

tiltable overhanging cover for said casing, a

fulc-rum engaging ring mounted on the under side of said cover for locking the cover and casing together, a central rivet embedded'at one end in said cover, and` an insulating washer clampingvsaid ring to the cover and secured thereto by said rivet.

4. The combination with a cylindrical casing having one end enlarged and having. a pair of fiat oppositely-disposed securing lugs sulating base. fitting within said enlarged part-of the casing and having on its bottom a bifurcated channel, binding plates carry- -formed on the botto of the easing, an ini ing binding screws mounted on said base in each leg of the channel, a stationary and a movable contact -mounted on the opposite face of said base, rivetsextending throughl the base securing the plates in position,.one of said rlvets forming thel stationary contact and the other rivet` securing the movable contact in position, said casing having an openmg thereln colncidlng with the b1fur` cated channel 'in the base, and having at its upper end a flange forming an annular fulcrum, a tiltable overhanging cover for said casing, a fulcrum-engaging ringmounte'd on the under sideof said cover for locking the cover and casing together, a central rivet embedded in said cover and v an insulating washer fitting over said rivet and secured in place thereby and clamping said ring to the cover. y

In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

C. E. KANE, ANNE SOLOMON.

CLARENCE B. HARLow. 

